One can almost imagine Mary Poppins herself, open umbrella in hand, floating down through the treetops and landing in front of this innocuous-looking hotel in the quiet Westbourne Terrace area of central London, on the edge of Hyde Park. Looking for all the world like the Banks family's private residence, The Royal Park is actually a series of three 19th-century Georgian townhouses linked together by similar white façades, black wrought-iron fencing, and arched windows lined up in a neat row. The street in front maintains its original width, which accommodated horse-drawn carriages in bygone days. Inside are period fireplaces and sparkling chandeliers, both glowing hospitably much as they did when these homes were built in 1842. Upper floors are accessible by lift and comprise a boutique collection of high-ceilinged bedrooms and suites with marble bathrooms and 21st-century technology. From cozy sitting areas, some with antique mahogany desks, you might look out at London's famous rooftops or over private mews toward Marble Arch. Each guest room has a bed made up with Italian cotton linens, hand-woven Welsh woolen blankets, and goose feather-down pillows that leave guests in a state of blissful, never-want-to-leave comfort.

But leave you must, because all of London's attractions beckon just outside The Royal Park's front door: Hyde Park right across the street (London's largest royal park), Piccadilly to the east, the city's famous West End theater district and restaurants, and the designer shops of fashionable Notting Hill. And when you grow tired of your wanderings, complimentary evening champagne and canapés, served by an attentive staff, await you upon your return.